New Bill Relative To Lobbyists and Candidates

A bill recently introduced in Congress would require lobbyists to identify relatives who are senior government officials, and prohibit candidates and their committees from employing relatives.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., recently introduced H.R. 5011, that seeks to curtail the benefits involved with candidates who hire relatives and lobbyists who have lobbying contacts with their relatives who are government officials.

H.R. 5011 would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit authorized committees of candidates for election for Federal office and leadership PACs from employing immediate family members of the candidates. The bill would amend the Act to limit the rate of interest an authorized committee of a candidate may pay on loans made to the committee by the candidate. The bill would also amend the Act to apply the prohibition against the conversion of contributions to personal use to contributions to political committees.

H.R. 5011 would also amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require
registered lobbyists to identify relatives who are covered officials and disclose lobbying contacts with relatives.

The bill has been referred to the Committee on House Administration, and the Committee on the Judiciary.